Given other options, how long can Tigers continue to go to Joe?

Detroit Tigers closer Joe Nathan walks off the field after blowing a save opportunity in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014 in Toronto. The Blue Jays defeated the Tigers 3-2. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darren Calabrese)
DARREN CALABRESE — The Canadian Press/AP photo

As the old adage in baseball goes, those last three outs are different than any others in the rest of the game.

Problem for the Tigers is, those last three outs seem to be the same from year to year: Moderately terrifying.

Jose Valverde. Phil Coke for a short time. A bullpen committee. Valverde again. Joaquin Benoit — who was pretty solid, until one ill-advised change-up. Now Joe Nathan.

None of them have been the lock-down closer that the Tigers have needed, and begged for. (And paid tons of money for. And yielded draft picks for.)

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“Well, it’s one of those things that’s been a struggle at times. But last year during the second half of the regular season, our bullpen pitched quite well. Joe this year has had a year he’s not had in the past, but ultimately we think he’s a guy who can close games for us. The back end has been a little bit inconsistent for us, though, and was at times last year,” general manager Dave Dombrowski said after the Tigers gave up two top prospects to get Joakim Soria, finally addressing the thin bullpen that had been an issue since spring training, since Bruce Rondon went under the knife for Tommy John surgery.

“But you have to look at your club as a whole. We’ve put a lot of emphasis on our starting pitching and we have some star positional players. Sometimes we’ve been hurt in the back end. If we had had Rondon all year long, we’d be in a different situation. You put your club together and you end up having to address certain situations. It just so happened the last couple of years, we’ve had to address our bullpen.”

Yes, as manager Brad Ausmus has maintained, their closer — the active saves leader — is just one calendar year older than last season, when he posted the second-best ERA of his career (1.39) and a ridiculously low WHIP (0.897).

He’s not been anywhere close to that this year.

His ERA after he blew his American League-worst sixth save opportunity Saturday? 5.36.

His WHIP? 1.55.

Some thought when the Tigers traded for Soria, he’d replace the struggling Nathan.

“I wouldn’t even speculate on something like that,” Dombrowski said on the post-trade conference call, when asked what it would take for Soria to supplant Nathan as the Tigers’ closer.

What would it take now?

Is it loading the bases in the ninth in Friday’s series opener in Toronto, after the Tigers had just come from behind in the top?

Is it Saturday, when he blew his sixth save, loading the bases before Ausmus had to turn to Soria to get out of the jam?

Apparently not.

Ausmus told reporters after the game that Nathan is still the team’s closer (no doubt something that’s hard to disprove, especially after Soria left the game with a strain in his left side.)

“Joe is the closer. Recently, he’s done very well for us closing games,” Ausmus said, according to MLive’s James Schmehl.

And that is true.

Entering Saturday’s game, Nathan had not allowed a run in 11 of his previous 12 outings, and had only given up five total since the last time he blew a save, and the Tigers lost (May 28).

Still, it’s a roller coaster every time he takes the mound.

And there’s always the fear he’ll go off the rails, like he did Saturday.

“It’s baseball, and I’ll come back again tomorrow. This is not going to ruin my day. It’s not going to do anything like that. I’m going to still go get some dinner, go to sleep, wake up and do it again. We play 162 of these things,” Nathan said on Fox Sports Detroit’s postgame show.

“I know the fans sometimes make it seem like if we’re not perfect as bullpen guys, we’re not doing our job, but trust me, it’s not that easy, and we’re not robots. And I’m not going to go home and hang myself after one game. We’re still in first place, and we’re going to come back and try to do it tomorrow.”

That’s the fear.

Before the trade for Soria, Nathan said he’d be fine with it if the team went out and got another back-end reliever.

“No. If that’s what this club needs to win games,” he said. “Like I said, we’re about getting to the playoffs, getting to the postseason, and ultimately winning this whole thing. That’s why I came over here, and that’s what I’m doing.”

They got Soria, and have barely used him. They added another former closer last week in Jim Johnson, who’s in Triple-A, working out his control issues.

Would Nathan be despondent if the Tigers replaced him at closer?

At this point, does it matter?

The Tigers have given themselves other options.

Sooner or later, they’re going to have to decide whether or not to use them.

I’d bet on the sooner, if the Kansas City Royals continue to close the (now minuscule) gap in the AL Central.

About the Author

Detroit Tigers beat writer for The Oakland Press in Pontiac, Michigan. Mowery has spent 18 years covering sports, from preps to pros. He’s been honored with more than 25 awards for writing. Reach the author at matt.mowery@oakpress.com
or follow Matthew B. on Twitter: @MatthewBMowery.